THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Where classics become casual

Where classics become casual

Kin Kao offers an easygoing approach to heritage dining

PLOYPARN MARKAWAT is nothing if not energetic. Her family runs two popular restaurants – The Local by Oam Thong and Naj, and her last project, the New England-style seafood eatery Crab and Claw, has had tremendous success in a relatively short time.
Now there’s Kin Kao, where the food is as casual as the name. 
The Local, Naj and Crab and Claw are all downtown in Bangkok, but Kin Kao – which can accommodate about 100 people – is at Central Festival EastVille out on Ekamai-Ram Intra Road.
And it differs in appearance from the Local and Naj, which are decked out in Thai silk, khon masks and faux pagodas. The month-old Kin Kao instead boasts a contemporary look, with grey counters and tables textured like granite kitchen mortars. 
One wall is covered with embossed aluminium panels inspired by traditional silver bowl embossed with figural scenes. Another wall is indigo and patterned with bamboo fans.
“Kin Kao is for young professionals who love Thai favourites and casual settings,” says Ployparn, who got her century-old recipes from scholars of Thai cuisine, including Srisamorn Kongpun. 
“The rare dishes offered at the Local and Naj are available here too, and there’s no compromising on the authentic taste, but the portions and presentation are geared to younger diners. We have a few dishes that are comfort food, as well, all coming from family recipes, and we make our own curry pastes with the mortar and pestle.”
Comfort food is the perfect way to describe Stir-fried Bush Bean with Dried Chilli (Bt180). Ployparn’s mother Luckananaj always cooks it at home, and she’s a guru on the cuisine. The chilli is pounded with dried shrimp and fried with minced pork and beans.
Then there’s her dad’s recipe for Pla Tapian Tom Khem (Boiled Carp in Brown Sauce, Bt380), a perfect mingling of salty and sweet. Cooks aren’t big on carp because there are so many bones to deal with, but here it’s simmered whole over low heat for eight hours. In the mix are sugar cane, coriander root, black pepper, tamarind, fish sauce and soy. The bones become so tender that they’re barely noticeable while you tuck into the fish.
Tom Jiew (Bt150) comes from another venerable recipe and also happens to be a cold remedy. Milder than tom yum, it’s clear soup with sweet potato and herbs that have been braised for several hours with red onions, chilli, lemongrass, coriander root and the leaves of kaffir lime, sweet basil and holy basil and flavoured with juices of lime and tamarind. The original recipe involves slices of beef, but Ployparn substitutes shrimp.
And yet another oldie is Gaeng Runjuan, a spicy, sweet and sour herbal soup (Bt200 with pork and Bt220 with beef). Anyone who hates wasting food will love the fact that this dish uses leftover shrimp paste in a broth of lemongrass, onion, holy basil and garlic.
For fiery dining, Gaeng Kua Pla (Bt240) is yellow curry with snapper and cumin leaves, served with vegetables of the season, currently young muskmelon leaves, roselle leaves, lotus stems and long beans.
The spicy salad Yum Bai Chakram (Bt150) is also a must-try thanks to the seepweed plucked in saltwater flats, cooked with shrimps and seasoned with lemon juice, onion, chilli, coconut cream and shallots.
Kaffir Lime Iced Tea (Bt95) arrives in an ice bucket to cool it down, a wonderful concoction of Thai tea, pineapple juice, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. 
 
THAI TASTES UPDATED
Kin Kao is on the ground floor of Central Festival EastVille on Ekamai-Ram Intra Road. 
It’s open daily from 11am to 9pm. 
Call (02) 553 6185 or visit the “kinkao” page on Facebook.
 
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